Aura Photography

Aura photography isn’t a new concept–it was discovered in 1939 by a man named Semyon Kirlian (sometimes referred to as “Kirlian photography”). But with the Radiant Human exhibit at the Whitney, it’s popularity is picking up again. I don’t believe in crystals and chakras and all of those alternative ideas about humans and energy but the photos looked ~super~ cool so I decided to check it out. My sister and I searched around Chinatown for this tiny shop called “Magic Jewelry” near Canal Street. We entered to find a ton of crystals and posters as well as 4 other people in line in front of us. After a short wait, our photos were taken. I was expecting a Polaroid camera that had a bunch of pre-colored film cartridges but the technology was a little more extensive than that. The camera was a relic out of the Soviet Union–you are to place your hands on these sensors and the machine makes some whirring noises then captures your photos. Though this technology has been debunked and blamed on heat and water content of the object (sweatier person=more “stressed out”)–the readings were shockingly on point. The left side of the photo pertains to the past two weeks, the top is your current state of mind and the right side is the future.

The first thing the lady said to me was, “you’re very sensitive.” She then went on to say that I think all day, I think way too much. She said that I don’t like talking because I feel as if people don’t understand me. But with a select few, I’m very open. (This shocked me because it’s exactly how I feel–I’m an extroverted introvert.) She concluded by mentioning that I am uncertain about a particular aspect of the future and that I need to sleep more (according to the darkness present around my face). I feel like these deductions couldn’t have been inferred from guessing. But on the other hand, they weren’t life changing. I’m still not a believer but it was a memorable/fun/touristy experience.